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01 RUTGERS IT | 2017–2018 ANNUAL REVIEW

Welcome to the inaugural annual review of information technology at Rutgers! One of my priorities since arriving here at Rutgers three years ago has been to create more awareness about the work of IT. This publication is a chance to do that—to highlight the impressive breadth and scope of our work in areas as diverse as high-performance research computing and videoconferencing solutions. The day-to-day work of securing our data centers, providing technical support, and delivering wireless connectivity does not always give us a chance to step back and take stock of our accomplishments.

IT services and support are provided by the enterprise-wide Office of Information Technology and by “distributed” IT staff at Rutgers schools, departments, and other units. For us to succeed, we must work together, and this annual review features the achievements of not just one IT office or department at Rutgers, but many. It also features the name Rutgers IT—our name for the university’s IT community, resources, and services. We are partners, as Rutgers IT, collaborating not just on the everyday work of delivering efficient, reliable services and support, but also on a multitude of initiatives and projects to advance the university’s missions of teaching, research, and service.

From the myRutgers portal (with one million logins per month) to the Rutgers network (with 24,000 miles of individual fibers), we are dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art technologies to support the vibrant life of this great university. We know we have work ahead of us, and we are moving forward on many fronts by streamlining services, adopting cloud-based technologies, and simplifying IT for faculty, students, and staff. Our priorities (available at cio.rutgers.edu/strategic-priorities) are far-reaching and ambitious, reflecting the essential role of information technology in helping Rutgers achieve new heights as a leading public research university. This has been a year of significant advances for Rutgers IT, and I am excited to share our progress in this 2017–2018 review.

Sincerely,

Michele L. Norin

Michele L. Norin

Senior Vice President and

Chief Information Officer

Message from the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer


Streamlining Tech Support

Unified Help Desk phone system

A single Help Desk phone system now in place delivers improved service. The single system enhances collaboration among Help Desk staff across locations and improves staff availability for calls. And callers benefit from time-saving consistent menus they find when they phone in.

Toll-free

Coming soon: One toll-free num-ber for Help Desk support will provide a single point of contact for all locations.

Did you know?

The Office of Information Tech-nology hires 250-plus students for tech support positions each year. The jobs are highly selective, and they provide stellar training, with alums working at Dropbox, Google, NASA, and other top tech employers.

Help Desk for faculty and staff

A cadre of full-time professional Help Desk staff is dedicated to handling calls from faculty and staff. And with after-hours 24/7 emergency support, the Rutgers community can feel more secure about getting the Help Desk ser-vice they need, when they need it.

You have questions

A sampling of just some of the queries fielded daily by Help Desk staff.

n How do I print from my laptop?

n Where do I view my transcript?

n How do I register my game system in my dorm room?

n I think I was phished. What do I do?

n How do I update my directory information?

n Can you help me set up RUWireless on my phone?

n How do I download Microsoft Office for home use?

n How do I reset my password?

848-445-HELPNeed help with RUWireless, Scarlet-Mail, or countless other issues? Help Desk staff members are ready to provide tech support to the university community.

90,229phone calls answered

48,725emails answered

6,881walk-in support sessions

99.85%satisfaction rating

OIT Help Desk


Simplifying IT. Enhancing Ease of Use.

Pay my term bill, Mom?

Now students can provide per-mission for others to view and pay term bills, with other services on the way. CommunityID is a new type of Rutgers account for parents and others in the extended Rutgers community that provides access to features requiring a login.

Maps, reimagined

The online campus maps, with new interactive features, make finding buildings, food, and parking fast and simple. Maps detail bicycle and bus routes, walking paths, and recreation and athletic fields.

One point of contact for IT at Rutgers University–Camden

All IT staff at Rutgers University– Camden have been combined into a single unit: Rutgers University–Camden IT. The goal? Streamlined services and sup-port, a reduction in inefficiencies and duplication of services, and a single point of contact.

Libraries QuickSearch

QuickSearch, a new search service for the Rutgers University Libraries, delivers a single, easy-to-use interface for accessing Rutgers’ vast library holdings.

Box file sharing and collaboration software

Rutgers selected Box for cloud-based storage, with the service due to roll out to the university in early 2019. Box’s intuitive tools will foster collaboration and provide the necessary controls for security and compliance.

23,343That’s the number of centrally managed computers at Rutgers. Collaboration between OIT and unit computing staff provides

n a consistent computing environment

n improved security

n critical data to leverage universitywide purchasing opportunities


Fast Reliable Internet

2,221,919,683,200,000BYTES OF TYPICAL MONTHLY INTERNET TRAFFIC

31,000,000SQUARE FEET OF REAL ESTATE

8,886WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS

293,000DEVICES ONBOARDED TO RUWIRELESS

110,000AVERAGE DAILY DEVICE COUNT FOR RUWIRELESS

1,039OWNED AND LEASED BUILDINGS

24,000 MILES OF INDIVIDUAL FIBERS

The Rutgers network

Think of the network as the “circulatory

system” of the university. You rely

on it. We all do.


Security and Speed. For the Future.

10X faster

A new master plan for the Rutgers network charts a 10-year course toward a faster, more resilient Rutgers network, ubiquitous wireless connectivity, and a technology infrastructure designed for next-gen innovations in teaching, research, and service. The network “core”—the backbone of the network—would increase from 10 Gb/s to 100 Gb/s.

Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)

n next-generation security product

n protects against malware, viruses, adware, and more

n enables Rutgers to prevent and contain cyber-threats before they have an impact on the university

Two-step login

Sign up at twostep.rutgers.edu in order to

n protect your identity

n avoid compromised accounts

n gain extra security for your information

Top standards for health care security

The Health Information Trust Alliance, known as HiTrust, sets the top standards for health care data use and security, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences teams are taking key steps to standardize and improve security, develop policies and procedures, and align with the HiTrust security framework.

Teaming up for cybersecurity

Rutgers teamed up with other Big Ten universities as a found-ing member of a new cyber-security operations center for higher education. OmniSOC is a pioneering initiative with the goal of helping higher education institutions reduce the time from first awareness of a cybersecurity threat anywhere to mitigation everywhere for members.

37,252devices migrated to Cisco

Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)

36,036security alerts triaged for

investigation

1,528,783malicious network attacks blocked

90+IT staff members from university

units participated in computer security first-responder training

Password

+Proof

Access

Security Stats


Workplace Evolution. Reducing Complexity.

Software volume discounts

A software licensing committee with representatives from across Rutgers is seeking to leverage Rutgers’ purchasing power when buying software. A key goal? Coordinating licensing of the software purchased by disparate units. Benefits so far include discounts on Microsoft business analytics software, volume dis-counts for Adobe creative tools, and a universitywide license for Lynda.com.

DocuSign

DocuSign was selected as Rutgers’ electronic signature system to replace paper-intensive processes with streamlined digital workflows and to reenvision conventional processes with secure, legally enforceable digital workflows for

n faster signatures, with documents automatically routed via email

n real-time tracking as documents make their way through the approval process

n reduced errors, with DocuSign helping to ensure documents are completed properly

Dashboard for health care IT

Technology leaders at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences are using a collaborative, web-based dashboard to develop and share roadmaps about IT projects to ensure the efficient use of resources for academic, clinical, community health, research, and other IT needs.

Visualizing Rutgers data

Tableau software is being used to gain insights from Rutgers data and guide decision-making. Case in point: The Rutgers University Foundation and Rutgers University Alumni Association use its data visualization to measure, analyze, and increase alumni engagement and fundraising. One phone system

The university is replacing four different phone systems with one unified, state-of-the-art system from Cisco. That means a unified directory, easier call transfers, and enhanced support.

6 data centersgeographically dispersed data centers provide physical and virtual support for Rutgers’ academic, clinical, research,

and administrative communities

18 millionpages of documents processed through

the ImageNow system, a secure, user-friendly imaging tool to capture

and manage documents

99.97%data center availability

$1 millionin savings since the 2017 launch of an initiative to set standards

for computer purchases

Data and Documents


Intuitive. Personalized. Self-Service.

Streamlined and personalized for students

Major enhancements to the myRutgers portal provide students with a streamlined digital experience through a mobile-friendly, personalized dashboard to key information such as course registration and schedules, grades, financial aid, and degree progress. Future enhancements will integrate links to learning management systems, housing, dining, career services, and more.

Website-in-a-box

Not a developer? No problem. Sites@Rutgers provides an easy-to-use tool to build a Rutgers website. Now professors, student organizations, and project teams can build their own feature-rich Rutgers websites. No experience necessary!

Creating a culture of accessibility

n Conducted accessibil-ity audit of university websites

n 50 websites remediated

n 100+ websites now include process for reporting barriers to accessibility

n 150 staff and faculty trained in workshops and webinars

Next-gen ID cards

New Rutgers ID cards provide enhanced security and the ability for students and employees to submit a photo online.

myRUN simplifies Rutgers University–Newark for students

Finding answers isn’t always easy. The solution? A single Rutgers University–Newark website, myRUN, categorizes, catalogs, and explains the services and resources available to Rutgers–Newark students.

85,000admissions applications

processed

9 millionlogins per month to the Central Authentication Service (CAS)

200,000installs of the Rutgers mobile app

1 millionlogins per month to the

myRutgers portal

Big IT Stats


Next-Gen Tools. Email and Communications.

170,000SCARLETMAIL ACCOUNTS

74 TBEMAIL STORAGE IN RUTGERS CONNECT

1 million+RUTGERS CONNECT EMAIL

MESSAGES HANDLED PER DAY

300,000SPAM MESSAGES FLAGGED DAILY

IN RUTGERS CONNECT

900,000DAILY EMAILS ON SCARLETMAIL

350 TBSCARLETAPPS STORAGE FOR GOOGLE DRIVE, EMAIL, AND PHOTOS

Cloud-based email and calendaringBefore Rutgers Connect, Rutgers

had 100-plus email servers. Unified faculty and staff email and

calendaring delivers enhanced security and saves an estimated

$2 million per year. Students have been using a unified system,

ScarletMail, since 2011.

45,000RUTGERS CONNECT ACCOUNTS


Leveraging the Cloud

Rutgers is adopting an “opportunistic” cloud strategy by seeking to leverage the advantages of the cloud when refreshing technology or adopting new technology.

Your future is in the cloud

Our cloud computing strategy—developed by a mix of Rutgers IT professionals—includes enter-prise agreements with Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services. Ad-vantages? No servers to maintain, no limits to capacity, and savings on maintenance, staff time, and equipment replacement.

Out front against service outages

The myRutgers portal and core identity management resources now employ cloud services to limit downtime and ensure high availability. It’s available 24/7.

Portal for parking

A new cloud-hosted system handles parking permits, cita-tions, and special events parking. The Virtual Parking Pass system eliminates the need for hangtags and paper tickets. It’s convenient, paperless, and self-managed.

1,095,937minutes of Webex meetings

437,500minutes of Skype meetings

22,041participants in Webex meetings

500,000peer-to-peer Skype connections

(audio, video, instant-messaging)

Next-Gen Meetings

70number of university websites hosted in the cloud with Pantheon

n out-of-the-box tools for developers

n hands-off configuration

n integrated support and maintenance


Education. Enhanced by Technology.

One learning management system for Rutgers

Innovative. Cloud-based. Cus- tomizable. The university chose Canvas as its learning manage-ment system (LMS). Canvas is the leading choice among Rutgers’ peer institutions. Key benefits include

n consolidating multiple learning management systems

n enhancing the teaching and learning environment for students and faculty

n fostering collaboration within and beyond Rutgers

2.8 millionhours logged on computers in

Office of Information Technology computer labs

More time in class, less on a bus

Telepresence video technology is bringing one professor to multiple locations, reducing travel time on university buses and preserving a real-time, immersive classroom experience.

Free video tutorials

With thousands of courses on topics such as web development, design, and presentations, Lynda.com is available for free to students, faculty, and staff. Among its uses are

n student career development

n integration into Rutgers courses

n staff trainingPrint from your phone

Need to print on the go? You can now print from a phone or other mobile device, then pick up the document in a computer lab.

Word, PowerPoint, Excel. Cost? $0

The university now offers Microsoft Office for free to faculty, students, and staff.

35 millionsheets of paper printed

in computer labs

1.98 millionlogins at computer labs

12,538trees saved from the

university’s PrintGreen Initiative since its start in 2007

Computer Labs


Advancing Research

New research computing cluster

The Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC) launched Amarel, a new high-performance computing cluster for research computing. Amarel is a shared, community-owned advanced computing environment available to any Rutgers investigator or student with projects requiring research computing resources.

n 600 nodes

n 13,500 cores

n 52 NVIDIA GPUs

n 1,300 students, researchers, and faculty work on Amarel

n Equipment in Piscataway, Newark, and Camden

500 trillionmathematical operations per second, peak performance— that’s 500,000,000,000,000

The Amarel computing cluster

is named after Saul Amarel, a

renowned Rutgers professor

and pioneer in artificial intelli-

gence. Amarel’s work bridged

computer science and fields

from ecology to medicine. His

namesake computing cluster

supports Rutgers research in

such fields as climate change,

galaxy formation, cancer

drug treatments, and the

neurobiology of autism.

CPU hour usage is increasing dramatically for Amarel

Intercollegiate collaboration

OARC is leading the Eastern Regional Network, a coalition of universities, network providers, and industry partners focused on research collaboration. The aim is breaking down barriers between universities and simplifying multicampus collaborations with transparent access to shared data and computing facilities. Partners include Google, Cisco, Syracuse University, and Brown University.

17.65

34.91

50*

2018*projected

20172016

Mill

ions

of C

PU h

ours

393faculty, staff, and students from 53 departments have attended high-performance computing

training since inception in 2017

175+Rutgers departments, institutes, and

organizations performing research on systems maintained by the Office of

Advanced Research Computing

$20 millionnew research awards for

Amarel-partnered projects since March 2016

Research Stats


Partnering. Collaborating. Unifying.

Working together as Rutgers IT

We’re fostering a unified Rutgers IT community among the 1,000+ IT professionals working in the Office of Information Technology and distributed IT units in schools, administrative depart-ments, and other areas. As a result, we are seeing

n more partnerships and relation-ships between OIT and distributed IT staff

n greater collaboration on initiatives and projects

n the fostering of a unified Rutgers IT community to provide compre- hensive, coordinated service and support

Forum for IT leaders

More than 50 IT leaders meet monthly for the IT Leadership Council, a forum for information gathering, discussion, and collaboration. Ongoing collaborations bring together IT staff from OIT and distributed units on topics like these:

n cloud strategy

n software licensing

n communications

n videoconferencing and synchro-nous communications

Identifying and evaluating IT costs and services

Technology leaders from across the university are working with an outside firm with expertise in higher education IT to identify and evaluate IT costs and services at Rutgers. The goal? To determine costs for both distributed and enterprise IT and to provide recommendations on gaps and overlaps in service. IT leaders at Rutgers have already developed a high-level depiction of IT service at Rutgers, known as the IT Service Frame-work—a foundation for evaluating support, cost, and funding models for each IT service.

Developing IT Leaders for Rutgers

About 55 Rutgers IT profes-sionals, from across univer-sity units and departments, participated in MOR Asso-ciates’ IT Leaders Program, often working with peers from Penn State, University of Chicago, and other top universities.

Rutgers IT profes-sionals are sharing and learning at Big Ten Academic Alliance groups and forums for computing infrastructure, identity management, and more. Senior VP and CIO Michele

Norin chaired the program committee for the 2017 EDUCAUSE conference, the leading event for higher education IT.

Produced by the Office of Information Technology communications and marketing team

Data refers to fiscal year 2018, unless otherwise noted

For comments and questions, contact [email protected]

To learn more about Rutgers IT, visit cio.rutgers.edu and it.rutgers.edu

Photography: Roy Groething, Nick Romanenko© Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 2018 RU-1819-0027/2.5M

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